Josef K.
Character Analysis

The novel’s protagonist. Josef works as the chief clerk of a bank and appears poised for success—until an unexplained arrest and protracted trial consume his life, and eventually leads to his execution. Though Josef is an arrogant, calculating, and judgmental man, his failed struggle to understand a byzantine justice system provokes the reader’s sympathy.

Josef K. Quotes in The Trial

The The Trial quotes below are all either spoken by Josef K. or refer to Josef K.. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Oxford University Press edition of The Trial published in 2009.

Chapter 1
Quotes

Someone must have been telling tales about Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything wrong, he was arrested.

What kind of people were they? What were they talking about? Which department did they belong to? After all, K. had rights, the country was at peace, the laws had not been suspended—who, then, had the audacity to descend on him in the privacy of his own home?

He [Josef] went out, grasped her [Fraulein Burstner], kissed her on the lips and then all over her face, like a thirsty animal furiously lapping at the water of the spring it has found at last. Finally he kissed her on the neck, over the throat, and left his lips there for a long time.

He was annoyed that he hadn’t been told precisely where the room was, the manner in which he was being treated was strangely negligent or offhand, a point he intended to make loudly and clearly. Finally he went up the first staircase after all, with the memory of something the guard Willem had said going through his mind, namely that the court was attracted by guilt, so that logically the hearing should be held in a room on the staircase K. happened to choose.

The woman really did tempt him and, however much he thought about it, he could find no plausible reason why he should not yield to the temptation. He easily dismissed the cursory objection that she would tie him to the court. In what way could she tie him? Would he not still remain free enough to crush the court at one blow, at least insofar as it affected him? Could he not have confidence in himself to do that small thing? And her offer of help sounded genuine and was perhaps not to be discounted. Could there be any better revenge on the examining magistrate and his entourage, than to deprive them of this woman and take her to himself?

He felt as if he were seasick, as if he were on a ship in a heavy sea. It was as if the water were crashing against the wooden walls, as if a rushing sound came from the far end of the corridor, like water pouring over, as if the corridor were rocking to and fro and as if the people sitting on either side were going up and down. It made the calm of the young woman and the man who were helping him to the exit all the more incomprehensible.

He felt anguish at having been unable to prevent the thrashing, but it wasn’t his fault. If Franz hadn’t screamed—true, it must have hurt a lot, but a man should be able to control himself at decisive moments—if Franz hadn’t screamed then K. would, at least very probably, have found some means of winning the thrasher over.

Please don’t ask me for names, but stop making this mistake, stop being intransigent, no one can resist this court, you just have to confess. Confess at the next opportunity. It’s only then there’s a possibility of escaping, only then, though even that’s not possible without outside help. But you needn’t worry about that, I’ll provide the help myself.

It was very important, because the first impression the defence made often determined the whole course of the trial. Unfortunately he [Herr Huld] had to point out to K. that it sometimes happened that first submissions to the court were not read at all. They were simply filed, and the officials declared that hearing and observing the accused was more important than any written material. If the petitioner was insistent they would add that, once all the material had been gathered and before a decision was reached, all the files, including the first submission, would naturally be reviewed as a whole. Unfortunately, he said, that too was mostly incorrect, the first submission was usually mislaid or completely lost, and even if it was kept right to the end it was hardly read, though he, the lawyer, had only heard rumours to that effect.

‘Yes,’ said the painter, ‘it was in the commission that I had to paint her like that, it’s actually Justice and the Goddess of Victory at the same time.’ ‘That’s not a good combination,’ said K. with a smile, ‘Justice has to be in repose, otherwise the scales will wobble and a just verdict will not be possible.’ ‘I’m following my client’s wishes,’ the painter said. ‘Yes, of course,’ said K., who had not intended to offend anyone with his remark. ‘You’ll have painted the figure as it is on the chair.’ ‘No,’ said the painter, ‘I’ve never seen either the figure or the chair, but I was told what I was to paint.’

Then the priest shouted down at K., ‘Can’t you see even two steps in front of you?’ It was shouted angrily, but at the same time as if by a person who can see someone falling and shouts out automatically, throwing caution to the winds because he is horrified himself.

Then Fräulein Bürstner appeared in the square, coming up a small set of steps from a lower street. It wasn’t quite certain that it was her, though the similarity was great. But K. wasn’t bothered whether it was definitely Fräulein Bürstner or not, it was just that he immediately became aware of the futility of his resistance. There was nothing heroic about his resistance, about making things difficult for the two men, about trying to enjoy the last semblance of life as he defended himself.

His eye fell on the top storey of the house beside the quarry. Like a flash of light, the two casements of a window parted and a human figure, faint and thin from the distance and height, leant far out in one swift movement then stretched its arms out even farther. Who was it? A friend? A kind person? Someone who felt for him? Someone who wanted to help? Was it just one? Or all of them? Was help still possible? Were there still objections he’d forgotten? Of course there were. Logic may be unshakeable, but it cannot hold out against a human being who wants to live. Where was the judge he had never seen? Where was the high court he had never reached?

The policemen continue to talk, and Josef tries to analyze his position, calculating the costs and benefits of each possible response. Because...
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Josef asks the men to produce an arrest warrant. The men respond that they cannot answer...
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Suddenly, the men yell to Josef that their supervisor wants to see him. The police insist that Josef put on his...
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The supervisor tells Josef that he may leave for his job at the bank. They tensely part ways, and...
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After work, Josef usually takes a walk and goes to a pub with his colleagues; once a week,...
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On his way out of Frau Grubach’s room, Josef asks about Fraulein Burstner’s whereabouts. Grubach tells him that the young woman hasn’t yet returned...
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Josef waits until 11:30, when Fraulein Burstner arrives. She invites him into her room, where Josef...
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Josef comforts Fraulein Burstner, who is concerned about the disturbance he has caused. Impulsively, he showers...
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Chapter 2

At work, Josef receives a phone call informing him that the first of many frequent cross-examinations of his...
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That Sunday, Josef awakes groggily; he had been out drinking the past night. Though he does not know...
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The building itself is a sprawling complex. There are many stairwells to choose from, and Josef is irked that he was not given more precise directions to the room of his...
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Josef works his way up the stairs, walking through a group of children at play. As...
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Josef knocks on a door, and a young woman washing children’s clothing motions him into a...
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The man, who appears to be a judge, informs Josef that he no longer has an obligation to hear his case, but that he will...
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Josef tells the judge that his uninformed question suggests that the proceedings against him are careless...
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In response to Josef’s insolence, the judge rocks back and forth in his chair. The previously divided crowd has...
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Josef jumps down from the podium. He looks at the crowd anxiously and begins to doubt...
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Chapter 3

Josef spends the next week waiting for another court summons, and is aghast when none arrives....
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The woman flirtatiously offers to help Josef with his trial. He asks her to show him the judge’s books, and she obliges,...
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The woman then warns Josef that the amorous law student, Berthold, is watching them. Sure enough, the man stands in...
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Josef lingers in the room while the woman and the student talk. After some time, the...
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The student carries the woman away. Josef understands this altercation as the first genuine setback he has suffered thus far, and realizes...
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The court usher enters the room and introduces himself to Josef, whom he recognizes as a defendant. The usher confesses that his superiors constantly abuse his...
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The usher has to report to the law office, and asks if Josef would like to join him. Josef comes along, and the usher leads him into a...
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Josef continues along the corridor, with the usher following behind him. Suddenly, he begins to feel...
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The woman tells Josef that he cannot stay sitting where he is, and asks a well-dressed man to bring...
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The woman introduces the man as the official information-giver, and together, the two lead Josef out of the offices. On the way, the woman explains to Josef that neither she...
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Finally, they reach the door to the outside, and Josef is so weak that he hardly realizes that he can leave. He is revitalized by...
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Chapter 4

Josef goes to great lengths to find Fraulein Burstner, but is unsuccessful. He even writes her...
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Sunday marks the fifth day since Frau Grubach angered Josef, and he has not spoken to her since. That morning, Frau Grubach brings Josef his...
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The maid informs Josef that Fraulein Montag has sent for him. He goes to Montag’s room, and she tersely...
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Josef thanks Fraulein Montag and gets up to leave. Just as he reaches the door, Frau...
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After he leaves Fraulein Montag and Captain Lanz, Josef realizes that he has an opportunity to confront Fraulein Burstner alone. He checks to see...
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The room is empty, and has been completely rearranged. As he leaves Fraulein Burstner’s room, Josef notices Fraulein Montag and the Captain conversing in the dining room. They glance at him...
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Chapter 5

Several days later, Josef prepares to return home after staying at the office well into the evening. As he...
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Franz and Willem explain to Josef that they are being punished because Josef condemned their behavior during his hearing. Josef counters...
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Willem protests against the cane-wielder’s words, saying that he is only being punished because of Josef’s complaints. Moreover, Willem adds, Josef has ruined the policemen’s career prospects. Willem’s interruption is punished...
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Josef offers to pay the cane-wielder not to hit the policemen, but the man declines on...
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Franz begins to make horrible noises as he suffers under the cane, and Josef promptly leaves the room. He tells a coworker not to worry about the noise, and...
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Josef stews with anxiety about the policemen’s predicament, but convinces himself that Franz’s screaming forced his...
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The next day, Josef’s thoughts are dominated by the anguished policemen. That evening, he revisits the room where they...
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Chapter 6

Josef is visited at work by his uncle Karl, a landowner from the country. Josef had...
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...possibility that it will disgrace the family. Karl offers to help however he can, but Josef dismisses his uncle’s concerns calmly. This nonchalance only agitates Karl further.
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Karl takes Josef to meet his friend, a defense lawyer named Herr Huld. At Huld’s house, his maid,...
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The office director enters the conversation but speaks only to the older men, ignoring Josef completely. Josef thinks he recognizes the director from the front row of his hearing.
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Suddenly, the conversation is interrupted by the sound of shattering porcelain. Josef leaves to investigate the noise. He finds Leni, who confesses that she destroyed a plate...
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Leni asks Josef if he has a lover, and he shows her a picture of Elsa. Leni criticizes...
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When Josef leaves, Leni gives him a key and tells him to return whenever he wishes. Outside,...
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Chapter 7

On a winter morning, Josef worries that his lawyer, Herr Huld, is doing nothing to help him. Josef has come...
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Although Josef is extremely tired, he realizes that he must play a more decisive role in his...
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As Josef grows more disheartened and more distracted, he realizes that he has kept a number of...
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The deputy director of the bank enters Josef’s office. The manufacturer criticizes Josef’s unwillingness to conduct business, and Josef can only stare pathetically...
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Now alone, Josef worries about the burden he has assumed by taking responsibility for his own defense in...
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Josef accepts a letter of recommendation and Titorelli’s address from the manufacturer. He decides to visit...
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Josef makes his way to Titorelli’s neighborhood, which is located near the courts. The painter’s building...
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Titorelli reads the letter from the manufacturer, but still does not seem to understand why Josef has come. The painter asks Josef if he is interested in buying paintings, and Josef...
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Titorelli explains his knowledge of the court. If Josef is to be acquitted, the painter says, it can happen in one of three ways:...
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As Josef grows increasingly uncomfortable in the stifling air of the poorly-ventilated apartment, Titorelli explains the apparent...
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Josef is disappointed to hear that it is essentially impossible for a defendant to regain his...
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To avoid the girls outside, Titorelli leads Josef out the back door. Josef is shocked to discover that this door leads to a...
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Chapter 8

After much deliberation, Josef decides that he will no longer retain his lawyer. Late that night, Josef goes to...
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...bearded man introduces himself as Block. He is a tradesman and a client of Huld’s. Josef’s control of this conversation makes him feel like he is speaking with an inferior person...
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The men come upon Leni making soup in the lawyer’s kitchen. Josef interrogates Leni about her relationship to Block, but she flatteringly assures him that he has...
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In the kitchen, Josef asks Block about his case. Block begins to prattle about his business and his trial....
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...states that a defendant’s verdict can be ascertained by looking at his lips, and that Josef’s lips indicated a swift conviction. Block, however, thinks this superstition is nonsense.
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Leni returns to the kitchen to tell Josef that Huld is waiting for him. Josef presses Block to continue speaking, but he seems...
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